the change: corruption
by dale n' hill
Summary: the golden age of Montival is over,they are now no different from the old Norman ey conquer in the name of their divinely ordained wa is only better in the way that they don't pretend to be any but what they are. the elective monarch of sylvania tried to stem the tide and died. now the country he left behind must find a way to fight back. M for cursing.
1. Chapter 1

I love the emberverse series, sort of. I love the core concept and some of the lore like the bearkillers, and the united states of Boise. But a lot of it is just kind of, dull. I don't care about juniper Mackenzie or lady death, and there are a lot of thing that I wished Stirling focused on more. I think that the dominions and the free cities of Yakima should be more than just that countries that opposed Norman, name one Yakima citizen. This story I am going to write will take place in basically in the same universe but in a place that really is ignored for the most part, the east coast. Pennsylvania specifically, so the events of the first 3 books really don't feature much. The change will also take place in the now modern day of 2016, because I was born in the year of the change in the book. I also don't really care to research Pennsylvania geography (I live in Illinois) for what is essentially a fan fic.

The change: corruption.

Chapter 1: foundation

Change year 224

Dominion of minnedosa, the battle of fallen prince

This is a dark time indeed, iowa is conquering, annexing, and confederating with its neighbor republics, and what's worse Montival has been warring with the dominions and beating them. Montival, the once shining realm has fallen to corruption, decay, and ambition. The king has become an emperor. The prince tried to stop the tide, but….

"We are the equestrian knights, not some blueblood associates. We fought and clawed our way here. So let's show them what true warriors can do." prince richard is confident, he is surrounded by his friends. Montival has broken their ancient promises, and no one breaks their word where a equestrian is around. His warriors are armored with steel breast plate, pauldron, greaves, forearm protection, greco-roman helmet and chainmail shirts. The associates look like beetles in the armor they wear, the light lances and short swords that the equestrians favor would be nearly the prince has a secret weapon, the crown of harmony. The crown of harmony is a gift from the twin goddesses, all of the values that the equestrian knight loves made manifest. Only the worthy can wear it, and the prince elect is not always worthy. *shock* a ripple through the world, across the field the sword of the lady has been drawn, high king edward is here. "Charge" the clash of arms, the sound of horses dying, the clatter of sword on shield. They fight like lions, but in the end. The prince looks in shock at the blade that lodged in self in his chest, a blade that patterns seem to go on forever. The prince has fallen, the battle lost, and the crown gone.

Canterlot castle (formerly fort ligonier)

5 months later

"What" the head on the canterlot guard could scarcely believe it, the prince was dead "this is a disaster, the disappearance of the crown aside much of our forces that were sent to aid the dominions are now gone. We will have to have new election as soon as possible and with the loss of so many warriors of the herd we will seem weak. The Appalachians and lone stars will start raiding again."the tanned tall war-leader started to hyperventilate "stop right there spear swift, we know all that. I personally fear the gentry taking advantage of this to turn sylvania into bucking iowa." the leader of the pegasus order, strong arm seems more controlled than his comrade. "Not to mention the northmen," said by the unicorn leader torch light scowling "they have been trying to take our northern lands for decades" "what of the people, they may lose faith that we can protect them" the earth delegate wheat sheaf states. Then a new voice speaks, the shadowy presence in the back of the room finally speaks, "we will prevail we always have, ready your troops, i shall find a new crown-bearer"

The village of Dogwood Acres (delaware)

"Thunderhoof" where is that boy, he is not normal. The town shrink called him an "aspie" whatever that means, from what i can tell it means he is a antisocial, obsessive, outcast. It is a shame, he really is a cheerful gentle boy. There he is, sitting by the tree reading a book again. The shrink told me that aspies usually have a specific field of interest that they try to learn everything they can, from experience he tend to get one interest and then after a while get a new one. Though he doesn't forget what he learned previously, he is wearing the usual outfit that yeoman in this part of the country wears. A linen shirt, jeans, boots, tricorn, and vest. the book he is reading is titled, "the war of the crystal empire" the latest in a line of novels taking place the age of myth. "Oh hello nanny lily, i just got done with this one. It is applebucking day right." he can't remember simple tasks, but that he remembers. "Yes thun, it is today. Come your mother is making apple pie."

I am really excited, if it is applebucking day then the parade will start soon. I hear the militia, have gotten the new model 15 crossbow. There they are, the crossbows are loaded by a pump action built into the forstock popping a new bolt into place every time. Fast and accurate, but not too powerful. "Thun your mother wants you to try her new pie recipe". I love my family, they accept me in ways that other children don't. i mean we are 12, fart jokes grew old when i was 9. Why disobey your parents for absolutely no reason. Why obsess over our nonexistent "adulthood". We are not adults and i will probably never act like one, and i am okay with that. Mother is a wonderful woman, father is hard working, and sister is .. sister, "thun, time for storytime". "Okay ma".

New confederacy # 130 (an appalachian village)

"What are we doing here jeff" "jeb, madame La Croix says that the spooks have something to say. And if the spooks say something you listen" madame is really the atypical pre-change sideshow psychic, silk robes and crystal balls and all. However unlike some of of those counterparts she is not faking. "Hello boyz, da great brawler tells me of a scrape among the spooks, so above so below. Go and unite the other hill peeps. We got to get in on this"

The lone stars (alabama)

"Cow boss, the canucks have lost a battle and took the geeks with them", finally that fool gave us a chance to unite the tribes and rule. Thought boss coleman, he has been spending his whole life making himself the most powerful of the cow bosses. He wants unity under him. He now has something that can help him with that. They now have a common enemy.

Norrheim

"The southerners grow weak, it is time to strike" shrieked the young chieftain. The hall filled with young warriors eager to prove themselves, northmen are a cold and brutal band. They will show no mercy, no compassion, and no pity. The ground shook and the ravens laugh.

Winchester, greater britain of the british empire

"My king and emperor we have gotten reports from our spies in the colonies" the king after hearing the report thought to himself, how can i turn this to my advantage.

Prince edwards island of the british empire, the governor-prince's palace

"So, what now" governor-prince charles thought carefully on his aids words "well we were going to start our latest campaign in the caribbean or newfoundland, but the savages and the cuban empire will always be there. We may never get an opportunity like this in our life times. Prepare the armada."

The border of richland and iowa

"King william, the ambassadors of montival are here to discuss the impending marriage to princess Mia" "thank you jeffers, after we track down the last of the richland deputies we will be the last of the midwest powers. And through this marriage we will control the entire western part of the continent, well the part worth controlling. But that is years ahead, it is only a matter of time, a matter of time."

The dominions, Montival army headquarters

Ash to ash, dust to dust, god fight god. i will be king of the americas, the sword of the lady is a symbol of our divinely ordained destiny. There is only one thing standing in my way, the power of false gods. The crown, i must find the crown!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: fire and flame

7 years later

The Pitt (formerly pittsburgh), tony's scrap service

What a beautiful day, my first day on this job. As much as i liked university i need to make money, and a degree in history, pre-fallout pop culture and military weapons and tactics will not pay off my student loans. "Hey bob" "hey thun, we are hitting the mini-mall today" salvage is big business in the Pitt, i help the team figure out what is worth taking intact. There are a lot of rich gentry who would love an antique mickey mouse figure or a poster of the last star wars movie. Hey, we may not be able to watch it anymore but it is a fun piece of pop culture that looks good on a wall. I hear that there are scientists that are trying to make limelight and hand-crank operated projectors, i can't wait to see what they come up with. I wonder what movies they will…"earth to thun, where do you go when space out like that." "i don't know bob" "all right university boy where first." hm the tabletop gaming store may be worth a look, it has been making a comeback. "Board games have been becoming popular lately, let check out the toy store". We put our hands on our weapons, the urban tribes are not that much of a problem these days, but it pays to be careful. Bob is using an army style short sword, gladius blade and basket hilt. I have a infantry shete, a blade a long as my forearm, curved blade, sharp tip, and a hilt that fits into my hand rather well. "There appears to be no one here." this breaks my heart, such waste, so many toys that could have brought such joy. The plush toys and cardboard has long turned to dust, but most of the plastic toys and the some of the metal ones remain and in the cool dry places you can still find the stuffed toys. The board games are the worst places hit by decay, forests of mushroom and mold. "Hey i think i have found a piece to a game of.. What was it, clue" he is not that far off "it is a 2015 collector's edition painted "game of thrones" variant of professor plum, i know a guy that will love to get his hands on this." amazing what a small plastic figure with all the paint worn off would go for. The store had a few miniatures for warhammer, but not much, still it will go for a few dozen dollars on the open market. "I want to check the oil change place, their may still be some car parts their" out of all the things the ancients did, cars baffle me the most. Why did everyone seem to have them, and why did so many seem to obsess over them. Horses can love you back if you treat it right, cars never would. "Thun we have to ask the boss for permission to scavenge car parts, they are to useful to waste". Taking our modest spoils of 12 eldar figures, 3 sets of various board games, and a luna totem (for myself of course) we walked to the camp. "Thun i have to ask, do you have any other ambitions than this job, i have known you for 3 weeks and i still don't know" i sighed "i have alway thought that being an equestrian knight would be fun, but they have education and physical requirements that i don't fit. Yet".

The appalachian foothills

"Hold, hold" captain silver spirit is worried, the raids from the mountains have been getting worse and worse everyday. His equestrian hoplites are not enough to stem the mountain hordes, the once divided tribes and clans of appalachia have been banding together more and more. Thousands of warriors shouting war cries, raining death on the peaceful kingdom. The viceroy has been getting the electors together to vote for choosing a new prince, but with how big the principality has become that it will take a long time to get them all and the candidates are still need to be chosen. The knights do their best, but with the northern and eastern raids, we are spread thin. The armies clash, the steel armor clashing with the ancient rusty blades. The savage mountain men dying in droves, 5 for every casualty they inflict, but the numbers are 6-7 to one. The crossbow men fire again and again with seemingly no effect on the enemy's morale. 'This battle will end badly' "lieutenant, take a letter"

Prince's palace, former pennsylvania state

The mountain garrison has fallen, if they defeat the dwarf king in karak zule their will be no stopping them from splitting the realm in two. "I have no choice"

Dear people of sylvania

A state of emergency is declared until the election is complete, all young men are encouraged to join volunteer militia forces. All military personnel are called into active duty. State factories and farms are to increase output to the limit. All taxes will be increased to wartime levels. Fortifications are to be erected around any communities that do not have them. Any tribe or city state with defensive obligations to the sylvanian government are now considered in effect. War has come, we must destroy the appalachians, push the northmen out of our waters, and crush the lone stars.

For the survival of the nation

Viceroy bartholomew beck

I hope this works, i just hope this is as bad as it gets.

Little do the men of sylvania know that a great war for the continent is looming and it's victor will be the master of the americas. In the north, the british plot with the northern raiders to create a fleet the size of which has never been seen before. The king of montival is almost done digesting the dominions. The lone stars are forming the largest raid in their history, and the iowans dream of fusing the midwest to the high kingdom through a marriage. The tide turns, but it will turn back thanks to a girl and a crown.

The Pitt

What is that, i have never seen a iowan this far east before. "Thun you coming" "i will be their in a minute". the women was young, maybe a year younger than i am. her clothing though ripped and torn are expensive. She carried a satchel and a well sharpened shete, covered in jewels and gold. Her attire is rather standard for the midwest, jeans and a tunic that they copied from the protectorate (though they would never admit it). She was a tall blonde with the rather imposing musculature of someone that exercises often. All in all rather attractive, especially with her rather lar.. Stop that thunderhoof, you are in control of your own hormones. She heard me and turned to me "who's there, i..i.. I will cut you if you don't come out" she said with a nervous twitch "whooh… by celestia's golden light, i won't hurt you. What is a girl like you doing in a necropolis like this". She seemed to relax a bit at my well educated english "my name is… samantha. My friends call me sam. I am trying to get away from an arranged marriage". She is clearly hiding something, but it is also clear that she needs help. I may not be as strong as an equestrian knight, but i am as virtuous as one (i hope). "No other explanation is necessary, we have to get moving to the camp. I may not be a savage but the urban tribes sure are"

"Whooh thun, you really found a treasure out there. I mean look at those boobs, and that ass" as always carl is being a bucking perverted creep. He is right of course, but i wouldn't actually say it. I am a gentlemen, at least i hope to be one. The gentry is rather hard to get into but it is better than trying to get a noble title in the bucking protectorate, especially under high king-protector-bear lord edward. Sam seemed out of place at the camp, it takes a rough sort to come into the dead cities. I only came here to but my knowledge to use "sam, stay with bob i have to get my stuff. I am going with you to fillydelphia" the route to the capital is dangerous, over the appalachians, with war now declared it will get even more difficult. But the equestrian high master can undo marriage contracts. The young lady told me of how she got to the pitt, after her father tried to marry her off she hired a band of mercenaries to get her as far away from iowa as possible. The mercenaries died along the way defending her from the lone star war bands until they made it to the sylvanian border where a merchant took her as far as new castle when she ditched him after he tried to look in on her bathing. She got as far as the Pitt where i picked her up. Let's see, i have my chainmail shirt, my shoulder pads, my breastplate, my model 14 crossbow (it has a lever-reload system instead of pump action and is getting fazed out), my infantry shete, my spear, my helmet (greco-roman style), and the most important part the shield. The shield is about the size of a pre-change garbage lid, not big enough for a spear wall but better for travel. Now, what snacks should i bring.

So they began their journey, it will take many months to travel to philadelphia with the rail lines cut off due to mountain raids. The viceroys call to arms was sent and heard by everyone, from the timberjacks of the new york wilderness to the mercantile/pirate/mafia families in charleston. Hundreds of thousands of fighters now converge on the dawi citadel to extinguish the appalachian threat permanently. But with all the fighters away to the mountains, who guards the roads? And they are not the only ones mustering their strength.

Norrheim, Kalksthorpe

"My warriors, for too long we have had to let the weak southerners remain in control of lands that are rightfully ours." king olaf stirs the hearts of his followers, and dreams of one day being called olaf the conqueror "we have let them be for though we are stronger, we are a few, but now they are leaderless, attacked by hordes of trollmen from within, fending off western horse raids. We may never get such a odin's blessed chance again. With the saxons at our sides we will not loses" . the warriors cheer, baying like so many feral dogs, "we have worked hard these last 7 years, we have enough long boats to flood over their pathetic navy. We have enough swords to arm every single northmen. And we have enough will to crush their weak hearted horse fucking equestrians" the boats were filled to the brim with eager young warriors, and the roads were choked with feet. Beware the fury of the northmen.

The citadel of peace, Montival

"My king, i have troubling news" the king was in front of the mirror as usual admiring his new black finery. "What is it, i do not have much patience lord herick" he never forgets a name, or a slight. "Sire, the princess mia, your future bride, has gone missing" the king did not look to concerned, he began to speak "we are not concerned, she has always just been a means to an end. We will put up a reward for her return, how is 4000 dollars sound, and send my my concubine. we am feeling a bit randy". The king went back to his mirror unaware that the thing he has been searching 7 years for is with the bride he ignored.

De moine, the "republic" of iowa

The 2nd most powerful king in america is nowhere near as calm as edward "i want her back, you hear me. DO YOU HEAR ME."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: blood and death

Our heroes trudge forward, the boy who became a scholar at the age of 15, and a princess on the run. The ancient road cracked and pale with age, the forest green and lush. Every foot step echoing into infinity. The bandits of the wood wait, they will get their chance.

'I don't get him', the princess thinks puzzled, 'he has not so much as looked at me, men always seem to either foam at the mouth when they see me. Like a wolf in heat. He however is stone'. "Why are you not staring at my tits" he coughed like he has something in his throat "i am a gentleman, and why do you ask" "i don't know, it just that whenever i go traveling with men they try to get in my pants" not that i would mind, tall, polite, smart, strong, and just a little unusual. I have had far worse boyfriends, i wonder where he comes from.

I hope she doesn't notice my blush, i don't have any problem talking to girls, any more anyway, but when it comes to the matters of the heart (or loins) i am speechless. She is going to speak again, please don't ask if i ever stolen a girls panties as a teen (i didn't!) "Where are you from" ahh an easy question. "I am from a small village called dogwood acres. It is an apple farming community mostly. I lived there with my mother, and sister for 12 years before going to university. I was always a very bright boy. We are yeomen, not exactly rich or poor, my father was an equestrian hoplite and he taught me of the important things in life. Being a good man, keeping your promises, defending others, and of justice" she seemed puzzled "us Iowans thought that all that remained across the Mississippi were wild men and Vikings?" "For the most part ja, but we sylvanians have been changing that. Every day a new tribe joins us, or is eradicated for the unthinkables" "unthinkables?" "Crimes that no man is allowed to commit and live. Slavery and cannibalism mostly. Some of the tribes are rather fascinating, like the Gullah..." what is that?

"Hello gentle man, lady, I and my boyz have been watching you. Now we have not seen a bitch in a long time. Give her up and anything of valuable you may be carrying and me may spare you". 4 of them i think, 3 spears, one ax, Appalachian originally from the accent, though not one of their raiders. They are just carrion that come out of the mountains some time ago looking for easy pickings. "Sam, stay calm. I will not let anything happen to you" she is clearly freaked out but conceals it well. I wish i was in my armor, but the leather vest is good protection. My spear and crossbow are on the horse, i have my shete, shield, and helm. Not much but better than anything they are wearing, one of them is wearing a bucking loincloth. I shift my weight on my left foot "listen gents, we don't" i sprint forward, attacking mid speech, oldest trick in the book. I push the first one over with my shield, and i headbutt the other one cracking bone with an audible crack. Sam runs the horse to grab the crossbow, the asshole with the ax tries to stop her. Focus on the closer ones, the spearman tries a jab but i uses my shield to deflect it, getting into the space where it is no longer useful. I stab him in the gut, turning to the other one as he tries to get back up. 'Should have worn a helmet' i cleave his skull in two. The one i headbutted is too busy with the pain in his jaw to be a threat. Sam had drawn her shete and was dodging the clumsy ax blows. I quickly get my shield in front of the ax before it builds momentum, the bandit went down like a sack after i cut his head off.

I treated his injury, i would rather kill him but i have some question. "I have 3 simple questions, every time you don't answer i will break a rib. Who is the boss?" "Thuck yth bastshert" a short concise punch "again," "othk, hish name isth iron hanth. Toughsts sucker in thish place" "how many?" "thirthy, maybthy." "Where?" "I doth know, heth movths around" i think he is sincere about that. "Thank you, sorry about the arm" CRUNCH.

"What the FUCK" i can't believe this he took on 4 men alone and won, "how did you do that, and why did you break his arm". He looked in my eyes, i have never seen such chill "my father taught me to fight, they are hardly Northman huscarls. As for the man's arm, he is a con that by the way is the slang that we use for criminals, and cannibals. Con for convict and consumer, or decepticon for the few that remember what they are. Breaking his arm is the least i can do" from what i have seen of thun on this journey is that of a quiet, kind, and harmless young man. Now i see, as soft as equestrians are they have a core of iron.

A week later

Since the attack me and Sam have grown closer, it is like she was hesitant to trust me before. The equestrian outpost was a modest affair by modern standards, a palisade, truck garden, armory, and a small trading post. The first thing i notice is how few men are there. The old, the young, and the infirmed, i had no idea it was that bad. For the able bodied men to be stripped from an isolated village like this. The 2 soldiers that stand at the gate call out "stand and be recognized" sylvanians may not be that formal but some ceremony is sometimes called for "i am thunderhoof of dogwood acres, equestrian and scholar, i am escorting the lady Samantha to the city of fillydelphia to get her engagement broken by the high master. We have information that may be of interest to your commander". The guards look at each other worried, "you may stay in the barracks, i would be careful though, and some timberjack auxiliary troops are also staying there. They are not the most civilized folk"

The timberjacks won't stop staring at me. It is like they have never seen a girl before. From what i gather from what thun has told me, they are the descendants of lumberjacks that survived in the New York wilderness. They are one of the countless member tribes of the principality, joined for greater opportunity and protection from their Viking neighbors. They mostly wear flannel or plaid shirts with jeans and the knee high boots that seem ubiquitous here. What frightens me are the axes, hand axes, throwing axes, hatchets, tomahawks, felling axes, battle axes, pole axes, Dane axes, and many others. They carry axes of every possible variation and type, even their knives look like it can double as an axe. Thun seemed unperturbed, "they are not that bad, besides their can't be more than, ten, 15 at most" i took solace in his confidence, i trust his judgment.

It has been a while since i have seen a timberjack, nice enough as tribes go. Still, i should make something clear "listen you half civilized vagabonds, the women is off limits. Try anything and i will feed you your own intestines as you are still alive. But i think it will not come to that, after all you are MEN among MEN" they start shouting "YEAH" if there is anything that timberjacks love, it is their own masculinity. They know when it is not bright to buck with someone. All but one, a rather scraggly looking officer. Common custom is for an auxiliary officer to be from the core regions of our little empire, to keep some of the more… uncouth elements in check. This sometimes means that the officers are rich gentry's children, this is not always the case. When a particularly trustworthy individual is chosen by the men to lead them, well you can't very well tell them no. "I will fuck with anyone i like" his accent points to Charleston. A wretched hive of scum if there ever was one, the port town is divided among prominent merchant families, the Italians, the Irish, the Russians, and many others. A sort of bizarre hybrid of organized crime syndicate and pirate kingdom. Italian most likely. They seem to always wear those ridiculous suits, ties, and hats. "I bet she screams real loud, eh boys" the timberjacks try to ignore him. Time for a lesson, the first punch is to the gut, as he bends over in an involuntary response i grab the back of his suit coat and pull, sticking out a leg as i do so. He hit the floor in an undignified sprawl, Sam then walked up to him and kicked him when he was down, and not that i blame her, bucking perv. The timberjacks cheer seemed to fill the room with an almost physical presence, it seems no one really likes him, "you just earned yourself a place at our fire, we will tell tall tales, eat mash and sausage, and drink moonshine all night", ooh i love timberjack bonfires, i can't wait, but first.

What a dump, i may be bias growing up in the Iowa royal palace, but come on. The National Guard commander's private chambers are a cluttered mess of papers, weapons, and various dishware, i have seen beggar's homes that are cleaner than this after i looked at the bed i wish i didn't think that . "how long has…" the soldier looked back with a sad look in his eyes "too long, he can't move from that spot. With iron hans attacking caravans and settlements, with the war. There can be no worse time". The commander, was dying.

Well this changes my plans, with their commander dying i can hardly take the garrison out to face hans. It is a bit odd his injury, the infection shouldn't have gotten this far if he had it cleaned right away. Time to change tactics. The bonfire was in full swing, the food was exquisite. soft buttered bread with a nice crisp crust, pork with just enough pink in the middle to make it chewy, mashed potato that is as soft as clouds, and great beer. Or so i hear, i don't drink the stuff, milk and cider for me. I tell tales of great men, ancient gods, warlords, and kings, of xena and hercules, of lincoln and roosevelt (both of them, what am i, an ignorant brute). **And that is how chief tecumseh of the pawnee built and lost an empire** **.** "Whoo" "Yeah" "tell other" "friends, and other less reputable sorts" they chuckled at that "as much as i love telling stories, i must be going." they clapped so loud i thought i may go deaf, now to talk with their leader. He is a big man, even among his giant brothers, he carries what looks like a halberd cut down so it would fit better in the skirmishing style that timberjacks favor. He wears green plaid with leather leggings and a chainmail vest, he has a neatly trimmed beard, and scars of every type. His voice is actually rather soft spoken "great chief jack (really) i see that you are bored of garrison duty" his face grew dark "you are right stanger, there are few women here, the men are in little mood to brawl, the drink though good is little, and all we do is drill. Not even very good drills" this is the man i need "sire (no harm in a little flattery) i have just what you need"

Say what you want about timberjacks, they are fine trackers. They are dressed in their fighting day best, armor of leather, wood-plate, jacks, chain mail, scale mail, and even some plate. The axes shining brightly with sharpened heads, helmets as varied as the armor, all that is uniform about them is their faces, all serious and professional. They managed find the tracks of the bandits that attacked me and sam earlier "jack, shouldn't your 'captain' know about this" he guffawed "fuck him, he is a cowardly thug. He is not a real man" interesting "why don't you just kick him out, you can do that." he sighed "i tried, the message was delayed with the wounding of commander walter."

I don't know why thun asked me to do this, i agree that charlston ship rat is suspicious, but a traitor. Besides i am no spy, i am not even very stealthy. From what jack told us the "little shit" spends most of his time at the tavern hitting on girls that are either too young, too hot, or prostitutes, even too young, hot prostitutes. Let's see, thun said that i have to look for something that looks like a vial, plant, or ointment. "What is…" *creack* "what are you doing here"

The camp is... odd. There is the usual tents and pre-fallout structures, what is unusual is the equipment. They are a bit too uniform, the spears are not made of scrap steel like a lot of the cheaper stuff, the swords are well kept, they even have shields. The outlaws must have a supply source. Wait, is that iron hans? Hans is almost as big as i am, better muscle definition, and blond hair. What really surprises me is what he is wearing. Plate armor is not crippling expensive, but it is not that cheap. Armor manufactures only makes so many to maintain scarcity and the best is custom made, and this suit clearly is. The armor does only cover as much as it needs to to maintain flexibility, and the biggest surprise is the runes. Only 2 people's wear runes, dawi and northmen. What is he doing here?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: corridors of power

Canterlot Castle

Chamber of harmony

The equites, the herd, the people of the twin sisters, they have been a pillar of sylvania since its inception. From state, to republic, to principality, they have always protected the people from any threat that arises, beast, man, or god. the knights of equestria are the greatest warriors in the nation, they are needed now more than ever.

"This war worries me swift, we are spread thin as it is. With this war we may not be able to garrison our castles as strong as we usually do. We can barely keep the lone stars and northmen out as is!" strong arm was concerned, were they focusing too much on a temporary threat. Sure the appalachians will cause a lot of damage, but they have no real organization to keep them together. After a year or so their little coalition will collapse. "Strong, we are the protectors of all of the people. We are honor bound to fight them. Besides, not all the various factions in appalachia are unstable yahoos. The electors better elect a new prince, and soon".

Philadelphia, capital of sylvania

What is sylvania's system? On the fundamental level it is a republic. Specifically, the people vote for local representatives. Those vote for the regional senators, those vote for provincial electors. Finally the electors and the senate majority leader vote for the prince and his regent in case of his death. Then it gets really complicated. So many tribes had as part of their conditions for joining up got their own electors that the clean democratic system is some what broken. It is still mostly a democracy, but like the old world parliamentary system of great britain, it has some gilded edges. Even the title of price is rather misleading, they are most certainly NOT RULERS. They act as commander in chief and act as a person to negotiate with important persons, that is it. Even so, it comes with a great deal of influence and not a little bit of power, not to mention the bragging rights of just being the prince. It can really cause a lot of headaches, especially for the old viceroy.

"For the last time father cebert we will not prioritize your monasteries for protection" 'arrogant old priest', thought the veteran politician. Since the fallout, the Catholic church had been slowly growing its power base, converting the descendants of those who lost their faith in the aftermath. They are perhaps the wealthiest institution in the world, with grand cathedrals with gold leaf adorning the walls, prime for the pagan raiders that now plague our state. "You understand the danger we face don't you. How many times have we sent your prince engineers for his building projects, how many of our holy warriors were killed fighting your enemies, how much gold have we given to your coffers?" in many places the church is powerful enough to make kings bow to their demands, sylvania is not one of them. "Exactly my point, you have better walls than many government fortifications, trained soldiery to man them, and the money to pay for more if necessary." the so called holy man leaves the room in a huff, the clerk at the front office comes into the room. "Sir, shadow ranger is here."

Many tend to forget that their is a fourth order of equites, the unicorn order are the mystical side, the earth collectives are the hard headed, practical, salt of the earth ones, the pegasus corps are the military core of this informal… well church is not the right word but it is the most appropriate. But what of the more, unpleasant parts of protecting the people. The corrupt politicians, the con artists, the stuck-up inheritance brats, they need to know that they are not above the law. Few know that the thestral shadow bureau exists, the few that do usually speak of mysteriously disappeared gentry or gang leaders found in alleyways with their throats slit or skull caved in. even fewer know what exactly they are or what they do. They have many roles, spies, lawmen, and assassins. They are the most powerful force in the underbelly of sylvanian society, and they have been hard at work finding a new crown bearer.

The dark figure in the corner is staring again, the viceroy has been working with a lot of black ops types over the years even before the prince's death. After all, prince richard was a more direct sort. Director Shadowslayer is the only one who scared him. He has something that a lot of wetwork specialist don't, a conscious. As terry pratchett once said " _A good man will kill you with hardly a word."_ If the viceroy steps out of what he says is the lines, no more spine. Shadowslayer is a like his organisation, very mysterious and with a lot of roles. Legends fill a lot of the gaps of people understanding, a gentry son that had his fortune stolen, a criminal who had to choose between death and service, a man whose parents were murdered in a alley (come on, that is batman). Well the truth is a little mundane, he is a yeoman with a family and joined out of a desire to do the right thing, with the will to see any task through. That is a little more frightening than anything else. He is unconnected and incorruptible, a tiger who agreed to wear a collar. "Bartholomew, when will the election be scheduled" there's something strange in his eyes, more cat than man. His canines almost fangs, tall and strong like many farmers are, his clothing black as the shadows he is standing in. cloak, boots, and linen shirt, only his jeans are a different color, a dark blue that may as well be black. Even his hair is black, though not his skin, his skin is that of the usual mongrel european. "Shadowslayer, you know that the prince can't be elected until all the electors get here, and even when they finally get here it will take forever to get the majority that we need." shadowslayer seemed satisfied with the answer, now to get back to search for crown. If his spies were right he would not need to go far.

It is an open secret that king edward is a bit promiscuous, in the post-change world with very little effective birth control this means that there are no shortages of bastards. From the low born bar maids to married baronesses, his grown sons (at least those whose parents are high born enough for him to notice) are stuck in a kind of unusual position. He makes sure that they have important jobs, and they are constantly kissing up to him to get more power. His favorite is vladimir stavarov, the powerful noble family is always looking for ways to get ahead. "Father, you called" the young prince was the atypical associate, an angry young thug in the vein of the long dead norman "yes my son, is the new territory reorganized to my specifications" "yes father, the new fiefs are shaky, but stable enough to move on to our next conquest." this is good for edward his ultimate goal, control of the whole continent "vlad, i want you to take the boisian, mackenzie, and cora contingents down south to the republica de pecos, they have been skimping out on their tribute payments". Conquering the world is expensive, the republic would have been taken over anyway even if they didn't stop paying but still. Vlad understood his father's reasoning for these contingents and his choice of conquest, the soldiers are not quite as loyal as his feudal warriors and don't appreciate his recent actions, the reason for the republic and not hawaii or the homer collective in alaska. The king has one thing that he finds abhorrent, republics. Publicly it is because of how "outdated" and "inefficient" it is, privately vlad think that fear has more to do with it.

Iowa is the most powerful nation in the entirety of the americas, it stretches from the great lakes to missouri territory, on boths sides of the mississippi river are dominated by their great river fleet, their army seems numberless, and their wealth endless. But all is not what it seems, the wars with their former neighbors drained their coffers, the vackies are getting restless, and the lack of a sea port as well as the lack of any exotic goods to speak of means that as trade and national relations get more complex, the more they will be left behind. Their empire is decaying, though they are still strong. The most powerful king of the most powerful people in the americas, is now angry. "Damn that impetuous girl, how dare she disobey me" like many people born to power william has grown to be unaccustomed to being foiled. Now he ponders how to get her back, he has already raised millions of dollars in reward money but that could backfire. Most bounty hunters and people who would try to claim the reward are not the most trustworthy of characters, and there is her *khm* "virtute" to consider, he asked for her back alive, not unharmed.. Then he had an idea. he can't send his regulars to get her back, they have their hands full trying to keep the formerly 6 different nations that make up his recent conquests from tearing themselves apart and dealing with his new war with the red hills. No, there is only one choice if he wants to get his daughter back in one piece (metaphorically) "jeffers, call in sir eaol, i need to hire him"

The barony of mist hills was not as large as most barony, they are a powerful force in westria due to the fact that outside of a few bosnian forts and ranger outposts they are the only organized group in the province. But as far as montival at large, they are fairly insignificant. Regardless they are formidable warriors that can sometimes get rather good employment as mercenaries. Mercenaries have a mixed reputation, they are relatively loyal to their paymasters and can be cheaper than a standing army sometimes. However, they don't really have any qualms against plundering communities that are not wealthy enough to buy them off. Taking their food, money, women, or anything else that they want. They can differ significantly from captain to captain, small groups to defend caravans, large ones that shift the tide of war, some well trained and armed, some little more than bandits for hire. Eaol is a housecarl (a saxon equivalency to a knight), so his group is more professional than many (which when McClintocks are involved is a minor miracle) . 500 strong spearmen from various places, 200 light lakota cavalry, 100 McClintock longbowman, and 600 knights. The knights themselves are not the plate wearing heavy cavalry of the modern association, most of them can't afford it being from the frontier. They wear chain mail, sword, shield, and lance and the spearmen are just as poorly equipped in comparison of modern infantryman. A man would have a shield, spear, short sword, leather of some kind, and a helmet. But the equipment of these hardy men are well taken care of and they drill constantly. Eaol is reading a message from the king of the iowans, "so you see the job, he wants to hire the spears of woden to get his daughter back" a lieutenant brings up a point "how can we? The fastest route is through lone stars and all the expeditions that have been sent that way come back in boxes" bright boy, i should see that he get bloodied on this trip "that is because they attacked the lone stars directly. The various tribes of lone stars may fight each other, but they hate outsiders doing the same. However they have subject tribes and villages that they really don't give a shit about. As long we don't attack them, we will be fine. we will raid their subject tribes for supplies and double time to the unexplored regions" the McClintock captain voices the question on the minds of all the men "will their be women on this journey"

And so the spearmen were hired and began to march with purses full and hearts full. Knights ride with dreams of grand estates bought with plundered silver. McClintocks thrill at the thought of the clash of blades. Lakota salivate at the promise of horses and scalps. As for their bandit lord Eaol, he has different aspirations. He does not know of the kings and tribes that rule the lands that rule the east coast. Not that he would care, he dreams that with his gold and army he can make himself a king. And a king needs a queen.

Corwin, capital of the cutters now an empty ruin. A black ziggurat dominates the burned out town, it was unfinished when arto the first killed the prophet and ended the cutter cult. But the dark forces that empowered him remained, and they still had their resources. Men enthralled to their service, lord's willing to sell their souls for power, and artifacts that are imbued with their might. Festering in the darkness they regain their feet. The ziggurat expands and so do they. Demons, jotuns, damned souls, gods of chaos and misery, they put aside their frequent feuding and infighting for the first time in a hundred years. All for the completion of a great army, and ultimately cutting out the proverbial middleman. enough failed schemes by fools, time to handle things personally. **We see you.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: a day at westhall.

"So, what now man." "I am not quite sure jack, they are better equipped and organized than I thought. They also outnumber us rather handily. We can't just rush in axes swinging. And there is hans himself." the timberjack chief's face darkened "fucking viking basterds *spit*" many of these hardy men learned their trade fighting the northern raiders. Let's see,thought thunderhoof, 4 houses 18 tents 3 fires 15 allies 30 enemies a river and no artillery. We can't charge in, the trees don't extend far enough for us to sneak up on them, hmm "i have an idea"

"I.i..i… i came here to apologize for my bodyguard, he can be rather zealous" here's hoping he didn't remember the kick. Little hint, he didn't "apology accepted, you know you didn't have to come here in person." he smiled a crooked little grin. Sam didn't need to be a genius to figure out what he was thinking. Well so much for subtlety she thought. She then kicked him in the crotch and ran.

"So here is the plan, they will be over confident with their superior numbers. We will lure them into the forest." "won't they see the ruse" "hans might jack, but the men are still just bandits with nicer weapons" so the plan began. I geared up, breast and back plate, mail shirt, helmet, shoulder plates, vambraces, greaves, shield, bowie, and shete. My spear would not have the room to maneuver, and i can't hit the broadside of a barn with a crossbow. My armor was freshly polished from the night before so it commanded a fair amount of attention. The bandits knew how much armor like i am wearing costs, they are probably arguing who gets which piece. The scruffy hooligans (sorry) then started to chase me, hans is not very happy. I can't speak norse but i am sure that what he is saying is not a term of endearment. *bink* what? An arrow? Time to vamoose. The timberjacks are well hidden, the flannel in their shirts make better camo than you'd think. As soon as they get into range the troops start firing, we are atop a hill so it goes a little farther. The crossbows that are issued to auxiliary troops usually are fairly outdated, but it didn't matter. The shields that they carry though large were not very heavy and were pierced rather handily, 1 in 3 men fell with wounds or just fell. The bandits had no idea where the bolts were coming from. 30 men to 20 is not bad, outnumbered but not excessively, hans is the real danger. The bandits can be handled by the timberjack, but with the armor he is wearing he could take on 10 men. "Time to be a hero" i mumble under my breath charging forward.

"Hey, you. Yeah you xena warrior princess reject" only someone versed in pre fallout pop culture would get that. He didn't know what i had meant but knew that it was no compliment, "i am hans ironshirt, son of the chief of the Wulfings. Veteran of a hundred battles and victor of them all. Who are you to challenge me horse fucker." so he knows that i am an equestrian, lets see. I am fairly heavily armored as far as a yeomen goes, this guy is on a totally other level. Maybe… "i am just a liberal arts major with a learning condition, besides you are hardly cohen, chill out dude" he shifted his face into a grimace of confusion. There are 2 ways to hurt him, i could stab him in a chink in his armor such as his elbow. Thing is a shete is not a stabbing tool and that needs precision which is really not my strong suit. However… I swing at his head while he still staring in confusion, his head soon hit the ground. He should have worn a larger helmet "well that was a little anti-climatic" the battle if you can really call it that didn't last long. Bandits are not soldiers regardless of how they are armed. without their seemingly invincible leader they fell like a house of cards.

"Well done boss, you killed the viking " "thanks jack, i was lucky that he was too stupid to put his shield closer to his neck" most fights are over quickly, if i had not finished him fast, in all due likelihood i would be dead. The bandits hang from the branches of a nearby tree like overripe fruit. The loot from the camp is considerable, pounds of gold, beautiful fabrics, steel ingots, and various other goods. Enough to set up a man for life. The weapons were well made and should also make a good price at market. If i were a raider, this would be a good haul. The question remains though "who paid for all this?"

We returned to the fort as conquering heroes, the men filled with pride in their victory. "Sam, did you find it" she looks tired, like she had been running. "Yes then, i found an ointment like you said. I also found this" the coins were silver, nondescript circles from the british mint, the note was more interesting. It was written in rune, few people outside the north lands can read it. I murmur under my breath "good thing that i had to take a foreign language for university" it is not encouraging.

"It is as clear as the paper it is written on, this is just the beginning. The northmen intend to invade" jack was sceptical "how do the bandits feature into it" "it is simple. With our forces fully deployed we have weaker garrisons. The bandits will bleed us, and if the note of the traitor is to be believed he was going to open the gates to let them in. their plan to go by sea and land mean that they don't have the men or time to take all of the forts in the frontier. Getting past the sea wall will be difficult enough." jack is listening intently, he will be going north to defend his people soon enough. "Sam, getting you to philadelphia will have to wait" i am going with him, i am captain after all.

I will need every man i can get, i will have to recruit men from the villages along the way to the nearest rail line it is the only way to get there in time. "Wait, i am coming with you!" sam? "I may not be a fighter, but i know a little bit about how to organize a group of men." "welcome then, i need all the help i can get"

Westhall manor

I despise the gentry, they always seem to think that they are better than me, but i need a force to fight the northmen and that means money. The villagers that we recruited seem eager enough for the fight ahead, they were eager to participate in this "great adventure". Young farm lads, brave, strong, energetic, if only they had any idea what to do! Everyone has a weapon of some kind, an ax, spear, bow, a sword of some kind, even some sickles for some reason. But many of them are badly made, ill kept, old as buck, and they usually know very little of how to use them. I have been lucky enough to keep this force from disintegrating, drill, drill, drill until they are the soldiers i need. That can wait, time to negotiate with the local fat cat.

october is nearly over, which means one thing, nightmare night is nearly here. And to the gentry that means masquerade parties. I have to admit that i love this holiday, the costumes, the treats, the pranks, it is just a night to be silly. This just leaves one final question, what is going to be my costume. I decided to dress as king arthur, after all i have this sweet new armor. The armor fits a little too tightly on me for me to wear it into battle, but it fits well enough for tonight (that and the fact that king arthur wore chainmail not plate are the only stumbling blocks). There, now all i need is a longsword and a crown and i will be set. The longsword is easy enough to find, it has a bit of popularity with heavy cavalry in this part of the province. Now for the crown, i can't afford to buy one custom at short notice, hm maybe sam has some ideas.

Oh boy, it has been some time since i have been to a party, what shall i wear. Maybe jack has an idea.

"Sam, where are you" hm seems she is not here "i don't think she will mind if i look around" the room is immaculate, not so much of a piece of dirt anywhere. "Whaaa" is that a crown! It is simple gold circlet with 6 gems that are set in regular intervals, where did she get this? I will have to ask her where she got it later, when i put it on i felt something. It is a bit like a combination of a sleeping foot and brain freeze, it was gone in a flash. What was that?

Man i am beat. Following leads i got in new castle, i found that the girl is headed to fillydelphia. Not that uncommon, many a noble lady flee there seeking asylum from uncaring fathers that seek to marry them off to some charmless oaf, or from brutish husbands. What is unusual is what she carries, how did the king of iowa get the crown of harmony to begin with! That is not important right now anyway, i have to get it back before someone puts it on!

The party gets started with a orchestration of "this is halloween", followed by "ghostbusters" and other halloween fare. Strange how all of the iconography is so similar to home in iowa, witches, ghosts, skeletons, vampires, ghouls, the only strange thing is the statue in the center. A black mare in strange barding, with fangs, a horn, and ravens wings. "It is nightmare moon sam" i jump a little before i realise it is thun. "nice costume by the way, cinderella right" he looks rather dashing in his captured armor, though the headpiece looks a little familiar."how did?" "i am a major in pre-fallout pop culture, i would be laughed out of the university if i didn't recognise the outfit. As for the statue, you were staring at it." wow he answered both questions before they left my mouth, but i still have questions "who is nightmare moon" he thinks about it for a second "there is a whole story about it but here is the gist, our moon goddess has multiple aspects. There is luna, mistress of dreams, lady of the moon, and protector of children. Then there is her dark mirror, the maestro of fear, the ruler of nightmares, and devoure of the innocent. This night is about pleasing that side of her with offerings so she will never arise in the world of the living again." that is actually kind of frightening, i thought their faith was all about sunshine and fluffy thing. "Excuse me sam, i have funds i need to raise"

I have never felt this way before. I have always had a quick mind, going from thought to thought so fast that it can be a bit hard to follow. But right now those thoughts are a clear as mountain air, i have never felt so focused. Time for the speech "*cough* ladies and gentlemen of westhall, my name captain thunderhoof of dogwood and i am here to speak of serious matters. The northmen plan to invade. Now i know what you are thinking, 'how can this be, how do we know if he is telling the truth.' if the armor i wear is any indication, i am. For those that are more sceptical i have brought documentation. I will not beat around the issue, I need men, materials, and yes money. I swear to you all, as a equestrian i will make every bit of it count. Now who among you would like to die in glory!" a great cry went out "war, war, war," by shining armors shimmering shield, and others call us weak! Well to be fair, we are not exactly war like. Equestrians are peace lovers, we have no warrior aristocracy like the english or the westerners. However paraphrasing "doctor who", demons run when good men go to war. I can see it now, a great and glorious future. Wait what is that.

I recognise the headpiece now, that is the crown! How did HE manage to get it on without going mad?

The room disappeared behind me fading into stars and sky. I see a road of silver and glass. On the sides of the road are doors of all kinds, closet doors and castle gates. One opens for me, it glows with a warmth of a mother's hug. Inside is a massive park of children. A playground draped in kids of all kinds, dark and light, rags and riches. A voice cries out "greetings my child" behind me are two maidens, one is clad in white with the confidence of a queen, the other clad in violet shorter than the other with a kindness and humor to her eyes. "What is this place," the shorter of the 2 that i assume are sisters speaks "it is my garden of shadows, the home of my children of the night. So many children died in the fallout, i give them the joy that was stolen from them." it takes very little time to deduce who they are "so i am in your dream world, luna" she smiles "is it that obvious." celestia interrupts "no time for idle banter. Thun, you now wear the crown that we forged long ago. This is a great honor, we are not some other gods that demand obedience. Do you wish to be rid of this burden, if you do you will wake at the moment you left with no memory of this." this warrants thinking about, do i wish to spend my life in the service to others or live a normal life. The equestrian pantheon are not olympians who demand their heros live and die in misery, but the path of any hero is difficult. I am not one to shirk my responsibility no my fellow man. "I accept all that this will entail."


End file.
